Austra @ Union Transfer.

Text by Laura Fanciullacci. Images by Grace Dickinson.

Some new wave electronic music came all the way from the great white north to rock out at Union Transfer on Friday night. The venue hosted two Toronto bands, with Austra headlining to perform tracks from their recently released album, Olympia.

After a quick opening session by DIANA, unmistakable Austra front-woman Katie Stelmanis came out to a stage illuminated by oversized cocktail umbrellas. She wasted no time getting the audience to dance.

The crowd gravitated closer to the stage when Austra performed their two singles “Lose It” and “Home.” These two songs particularly showcased Stelmanis’ operatically-trained voice while hitting some high notes with a steady vibrato. This voice paired with the hypnotic electronic beats and firm percussion provided each song with a nicely constructed balance.

After touring with the likes of the XX and Grimes, this marks Austra’s first U.S. headlining tour. The sextet was missing their backup-vocal twins for the night but the rest of the group seemed to manage just fine.

Austra’s latest album, Olympia, arrives only two years after their debut, Feel It Break, producing a solid sophomore release with a highly definitive sound. Stelmanis’ lyrics are a little more personal and complex this time around but the lyrics coupled by catchy melodies and rhythms make it harmonious with their original sound.

The set ended with a throwback to one of their most popular songs, “Beat and a Pulse.” Though we’re not sure when they’ll be stopping by Philadelphia again, we’ll hope that Austra’s Olympia gives us promise for good things to come and some more spell-binding synth-pop.